Skin by Naomi Sepiso

I often wake up
late,
disoriented.
weighed down by the feeling that negative forces
conspire against me,
against the wishes of my heart,
against those I keep in my heart.

I often worry for the safety of those I love.
I am afraid of being left in this world,
alone.

I am blanketed by the fear that I haven’t done enough;
haven’t called enough,
didn’t hug long enough.
I am afraid that I may not be enough.

I feel as though one day
I will open the doors of my heart to someone
and they will say ‘it’s just not right.
your skin is too soft and it’s too dark in here.’

I dread the day someone leaves me only with a note
‘you make a lovely home
but it just isn’t right for me.’
I fear that I will look in the mirror one day
and notice that I just don’t feel right.

That nothing feels right.

Naomi Sepiso is a 17 y/o Kenyan/Zambian immigrant living in Australia. She mainly reflects on the journeys taken by many POC youth and their predecessors. You can find Naomi on her tumblr and her instagram.